Paving-brick for track paving and fastening purposes.



No. 690,988. Patented Ian. I4, |902.

W. H. NELSON. PAVING BRICK FOR ,TRACK PAVING AND FASTENING PURPOSES.

` (Appxicaeibn mea Jan. 17, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 SI'leets-Sheot l.

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5"MINIMUM No. 690,988.. Patented lan. I4, |7902.' W. H. NELSDN.

PAVING BRICK FOR TRACK PAVING AND FASTENING PURPOSES.

(Application led Jan, 17, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

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WILLIAM H. NELSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO CUTHBERT W.

RIDLEY AND FREDERICK MERTENS,

OF VASHlNGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,988, dated January 14, 1902.

Application filed January 17,1901. Serial No. 43,595. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paving-Brick for Track Paving and Fastening Purposes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to paving bricksor blocks, and has special reference to an improved brick or block of this character possessing special utility in connection with streetrailways of the modern type. To this end the invention contemplates a brick so constructed as to provide not only a superior paving-surface adjoining the rails of the track, but which shall also serve the very important function of an auxiliary track-fastening, and in the performance of this latter function it is of special use in connection with the rail or track fastenings of a street-railway of the conduit type.

In the accomplishment of the above objects the invention has in view the provision of a brick so constructed as to evenly iit the sides of a track-rail and also cooperating with the fastenings therefor, so as to provide positive and reliable means for obviating the tendency of such fastenings to loosen under the constant vibration incident to the travel thereover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a form of brick which may be utilized as a conduit for such electric wires as may be employed in connection with the operation of the railway or for other purposes, this use of the invention, however, being secondary to the more important one of providing an auxiliary fastening for the track-rails and their connections.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and

claimed.

While the essential features of the improved brick are necessarily susceptible to a variety of modiiications without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure l is a perspective sectional view of a portion of a conduit street-railway, showing the improved paving-bricks arranged in their operative positions at the inner and outer sides of the track-rail. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a track-rail and the adjacent portion of the conduit-yoke, showing the preferred forms of brick arranged at the inner and outer sides of the rail. Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the same form of brick arranged at a rail-joint. Fig. 4t is a bottom perspective View of the preferred form of brick, shown in Figs. 1,2, and 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the brick in which the inner side thereof is shaped to the same configuration as the side of the rail which it fits. Fig. (i is a detail sectional View of another modification, showing how the brick may be adapted to serve as a conduit for electric Wires.v

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Those who are familiar with modern streetrailways are aware of the difficulty experienced in securing a durable paving alongside of the rails of the track, inasmuch as the constant jarring and vibration incident to the rolling of the cars over the rails causes a very rapid breaking up or chipping of the paving material directly adjoining the rails, thereby necessitating frequent and almost constant repairing of the pavement. The most approved way of paving up alongside of the track-rails of street-railways is to utilize brick laid in one or more courses directly against the rail and then to back up these brick With other paving material, usually concrete; but the main objection which has been found to the ordinary brickwork along the track-rails is that these bricks usually project above the tread of the rails and not only chip away at the top, but also become quickly tion may be clearly understood, there is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings a portion of a streetrailway track of the conduit type. In the construction of the conduit-railway 4is employed the usual conduit-yokes 1, arranged at suitable distances apart and provided at their outer extremities with the terminal supporting-danges 2, upon which rest the bases of the track-rails 3, Which rails are securely clamped to the said flanges 2 of the yokes through the medium of the usual track-fastening bolts 4. .These track-fastening bolts 4 :are secured in the terminal supportinglianges 2 of the yokes and have their hooked heads 5 engaging with the flanges at the base of the rails. In addition to supporting the rails in the manner described the conduityokes have secured thereon the usual slotrails 6, braced in position by the tie-rods 7, bolted to the fastening-lugs 8, provided upon the yokes contiguous to the terminal flanges 2 thereof. This construction is the one commonly resorted to' in street-railway building, and it should be further observed in this connection that it is the common practice in tightening up the track-fastening bolts 4 to drive in Wedges behind said bolts in the bolt-openings thereof to hold the same in firm engagement With the rail-flange; but notwithstanding this expedient it is very common for the Wedges to loosen, and thus permit the fastening-bolts to loosen their grip upon the rails, with a consequent impairment of the entire track structure.

While the improved brick may be made in various sizes and maybe made in somewhatdifferent forms without departing from the spirit of the invention, a preferred embodiment is shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. Referring particularly to this form of brick, the same (designated by the numeral 9) essentially consists of a rectangular body or block molded in any approved manner, though preferably bythe use of specially-constructed molds, and formed of suitable brick or composition material capable of being hardened to a very high degree in order that the brick may effectually carry out its special function. The rectangular form of brick is the preferable shape, and in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the rectangular body 9 is provided With an approximately straight inner side l0, adapted to be moved up close against the side of the rail, and Which is preferably provided therein With a rentrant holding-pocket 1l, which serves an important function both when the brick faces an ving-pocket 11 in the inner side of the brick body the latter is provided in its base, at or contiguous to the inner edge thereof, with a separate holding-pocket 12, which is adapted to provide an inclosing housing or pocket for cement entirely about and over the heads of the track-fastening bolts 4.

In the construction of brick just described those for the inner and outer sides of the rails may be of practically the same kind, and at this point it may be observed that by reason of providing the brick with approximately straight inner sides 10, so as not to project beneath the tread of the rail, the said bricks are individually removable and replaceable without disturbing others in the same row or course, which is a point of great importance in the repairing of thepavement, and by reason of having the bricks uniformly constructed it is not necessary to have specially-formed bricks for the rail-joints and for use between the joints. The bricks which face the portions of the rails between the rail-joints serve to inclose in cement spaces 13 at the sides of the rail beneath the tread, so that a body of cement can be forced ahead of the bricks into such spaces when the bricks are being laid and Will also fill into the holdingpockets 11, thus materially aiding in holding the brick in position. Those brick which face the sides of the rail at a railjoint, of course, fit more closely up to the fishplates, and the pockets 1l receive the extremities of the joint-bolts and serve to house a body of cement about such bolt extremities. In this connection the holding-pockets 1l, which receive the nuts of the jointing-bolts, will provide, with the cement therein, an effect-ive'nut-lock. As the form of bricks described are laid in the usual courses alongside of the rails the vbottom holding-pockets 12 will take over the heads of the fasteningbolts 4 and being filled with cement will thus provide a backing for such bolts Which Will effectuallyprevent the loosening thcreofaway from the rail-flange. The holding-pockets 12 of the bricks, which line the inner sides of the rails, may be made sufficiently Wide to also receive the fastening-lugs 8 for the outer bolt ends of the tie-rods 7. It will thus be seen that the bricks are not only themselves securely held to the rails, but also effectually assist in securing the track-fastenings themselves.

In all forms of the brick the same are con- IOO IIO

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structed of a suflicient Width and are beveled at their lower sides, so as to rest directly upon the base-flanges of the rails, While at the same time having smooth upper surfaces ush With the tread of the rails to obviate the objectionable chipping.

It may be found desirable under some conditions to only use the form of brick described at the rail-joints and to employ a modified form of brick, such as shown in Fig. 5, along the rails between the joints. In this modified form of brick the bottom holdingpockets 12 are employed; but instead of the straight inner sides lO, as shown in Figs. l to 4, inclusive, of the drawings, the said modified forni of brick is provided with a straight inner side portion 10, closely fitting the web of the rail, and at one upper edge, adjoining said inner side portion l0, with an angular recess 10b fitting the under and edge portion of the rail-tread, thus providing a brick whose inner side corresponds exactly to the con figuration of the rail against which it is placed. However, in this modification of the invention it is necessary to have the bricks at the inner and outer sides of the rails somewhat differently shaped at their sides adjoining the rails, so as to correspond to 4the different configuration of the inner and outer portions of the rail-tread. Still both the inner and outer bricks in this construction are provided with the straight side portions l0a and the angular recesses 10b, adjoining and merging into said side portions.

Another modification which may be resorted to is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings and discloses the thought of forming the brick body in separate matching sections 9fL and 9b and providing the same with longitudinal openings or passages 14, in which electrical wires may be strung for electric railway or street-lighting purposes. This modification, however, would not prevent the brick from Subserving the important functions herein pointed out.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, use, and many advantages of the herein-described brick will be readily apparent to those familiar with the art without further description, and it will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

It has already been explained that one of the objections to the ordinary brickwork along the track-rails is that these bricks usually project above the tread of the rails and are therefore subject to being quickly chipped by the car-wheels, especially around curves, and another very serious objection in this particular is that the car-wheels themselves become chipped upon the tread and rendered unfit for use. Also the fianges of the wheels are permitted to become very quickly worn at the curves of the track, and besides the projecting brickwork frequently causes a breaking or damaging of the car-fenders.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a track-rail and the track-fastenings engaging the base-fiange thereof, of paving-brick arranged to face the opposite sides of the rail and resting on the base-flange, each brick being constructed to receive therein the projecting ends of the track-fastenings, and also a body of cement enveloping said fastenings.

2. A brick of the class described, comprising a body having a base adapted to rest on the base-fiange of a rail and provided in such base with a rentrant pocket adapted to receive the projecting portions of the trackfastenings, and a body of cement enveloping such fastenings.

3. .A brick of the class described comprising a body having a beveled base resting directly upon the base-fiange of the rail and provided therein with a rentrant pocket receiving the heads of the track-fastening bolts, and a body of cement enveloping the latter.

4t. A brick of the class described comprising a body provided in the inner side thereof with a rentrant holding-pocket for the reception of a body of cement, and also in its base with a separate rentrant pocket for the reception of a body of cement and the heads of the track-fastening bolts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. NELSDN.

Vtnesses:

HENRY E. COOPER, D. P. WOLHAUPTER. 

